Eternal Rivals, Eternal Friends
by morningdawn202
Summary: Waya, Isumi, and Nase by chance come across a interview on TV that answers a question that they have all wondered about for years.


Waya sat back in annoyance and resignation. Studying the game board in front of him, Waya saw that there was no way he could win this match. With a sigh, Waya sat forward, placed his hands on his knees and bowed slightly. "I resign," he said softly and Isumi smiled at him from across the board.

"Thank you," he answered simply and then grinned over at his opponent, saying cheerfully, "You almost had me on that one, Waya."

Waya shoot his friend a dirty look and said, "I really thought I had you. If you hadn't gotten those four stones in the corner I'm sure I would have won."

Isumi laughed and answered, "Then you shouldn't have let me get those four stones, now should you?" With that, Isumi began to clear the bored and put it away.

His friend watched him for a few moments and then Waya stood and went over to sit by Nase who was currently flipping through the channels on Waya's little TV. "Anything good on?" he asked settling down and peering at the screen.

Nase sighed in annoyance and answered, "Not a thing. I've been looking for like ten minutes and there isn't one good thing on to watch."

Waya shrugged and said, "Check the sport channel."

Nase sent him a dirty look but obediently switched the channel. What the two of them saw then shocked them into the point of Nase letting out a cry of surprise and Waya leaning so far forward that he fell flat on his face."

Isumi dropped the box if Go chips and rushed over to his two friends exclaiming, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Waya was still trying to get his balance back so Isumi turned to Nase and asked, exasperated, "What?"

Nase didn't answer but just pointed to the screen with a shaking finger. Isumi turned to look and sat down hard. There on the screen, as bright as day was their friend and fellow pro Go player, Hikaru Shindo!

"What," asked Waya in a whisper, "in the world is Hikaru doing on TV being interviewed by that reporter?"

Nase leaned over and wacked him on the head saying sharply, "Well if you would be quiet and listen then maybe we can find out."

The hot headed red head glared at the girl but didn't say anything else. The three of them leaned forward and watched to see what the reporter was talking to Hikaru about.

Hikaru was currently laughing and something the reporter said and then the reporter placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder and said, "Ok, Hikaru I just have one more question for you, a question I think a lot of people have been wondering about for a long time."

Hikaru looked a little confused but said, "Sure, Ellie, what is it?"

The reporter, Ellie, smiled and gave a dramatic pause before continuing, "Well, Hikaru, there has been a rumor going around for a while now that you are rivals with the renown Go player Akira Toya. Now this wouldn't be strange at all seeing that you are too an excellent Go player, but word has it that your rivalry started way before you became a pro and even before you were an Insei. So tell me, just what is your relationship with Akira?"

The three friends looked at each other back in Waya's room. This was something that they had all wondered about over the years and now it looked as though they would finally get their answer. They turned their attention back to the TV as Hikaru began to talk again.

Hikaru looked thoughtful as he answered, "Well, I'm not really sure what Akira would say about me but it's… complicated. I guess you could call us both rivals and friends but it's a little weird."

Ellie leaned forward, her eyes a light and Waya, Nase and Isumi unconsciously did the same. "What do you mean?" she asked eagerly.

Hikaru considered for a moment before continuing, "Well, Akira and I have known each other for years and we meet when I was just starting out. I had, well, let just say I had really good beginners luck. Akira became interested in me and since then we have a sort of friendship fueled by revelry. As I said, it's complicated, but we're really close. Or at least I think so."

The reporter smiled at Hikaru and then turned back to the camera and said brightly, "Well, there you have folks, the long awaited question in the Go world answered. Or at least that is one perspective. What you all and Hikaru here don't know is that I caught up with Akira yesterday and asked him the very same question so let's see what he had to say about Hikaru."

Hikaru looked taken aback and opened his mouth to protest but the camera was already spinning to a new screen. This one showed Ellie holding a microphone up to the face of none other than the great Akira Toya.

Akira looked a little taken aback also, and it was clear that he had just been asked the same question that Hikaru had only moments before. Then, Akira's face cleared and he was back to his professional self. However his answer to the inquiry was the last thing that thing that anyone expected.

"Hikaru is," started Akira slowly, "probably the only person I truly consider a rival and has been for years. When we first meet he beat me while only being a beginner. I've always wondered how he did but he hasn't ever told me. Ever since that day, I guess we've been rivals.

Akira smiled at Ellie and the camera before continuing, "Hikaru and I will put our heart and soul into any Go match that we play but it's different when we are playing against each other. When I play against him, it is most free and intense times ever. I think that is not just because we are rivals but also because Hikaru Shindo is my best friend as well."

Just then Akira smiled a smile that could almost be called evil and added before walking away, "But I know that Hikaru is hiding something form me and one of these days I am going to find out what it is, whether he likes it or not."

The screen skipped back to Ellie sitting alone in a studio with a proud smile. "There you have it folks," she said loudly, "the answer to the question, just what do Akira and Hikaru mean to each other. It may not have been a very straight answer but it certainly was a good one! I'm Ellie Clark that that's the news of the day!"

Nase silently switched the TV off and stared at the blank screen. Waya sat back on his hands and blew out a sigh, "Well, I guess that answers the question all right."

Isumi shook his head in amazement and asked, "How in the world could Hikaru have beaten Toya when he was just starting?"

The three friends sat in silence, pondering the question. No one could come up with a reasonable answer, it just seemed too impossible to even imagine.

Finally, Nase stood up and stretched, saying, "Well, I'm not even going to try to understand those two. They have their own thing going and that's fine with me. Later, guys." With that, Nase left the room on her way back home.

Waya and Isumi watched her go and then looked at each other. Isumi grinned and said, "She's right, you know."

Waya sheepishly grinned back and answered, "I know but I'll tell you this, Toya isn't the only one who is going to find out the secret to Hikaru. One of these days, I'm going to find the secret myself!"

**Well, there you have it, my first story! Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


End file.
